Didn't Even See The Dust
by Kerushi-Nee-Chan
Summary: You'll always have my family and I. Is.... that enough... for now?" My family might not have loved me a hundred percent, but it was a 'normal' life, for me that is. "...Yeah... for now." *ONE-SHOT*


**" d i d n t e v e n s e e t h e d u s t "**

_**(** Ryoma Echizen **)  
(** vers. 01 **)**_

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I'm probably stupid.

Yeah, that's it. I mean, it would explain my incapability to see that he cared for me. A lot.

Anybody could see it. Except for me.

And when I did realize he cared, some other girl already had him around her finger.

To say the least, I was pissed. At myself and at her, but it really was just all my fault.

He always did say I was slow.

- - - -

"Ryoma, that's not funny!" I scolded quietly so that only he could hear me.

He gave me the that smirk of his. "Lighten up Hanabi, he's probably fine. Besides, it's his own fault."

Frowning at his comment, I gave a somewhat defeated sigh and looked at my feet. Tennis balls could be heard being hit at roughly with rackets as we approached the courts of the infamous Seishun Gakuen. "But- But what if-!"

"He'll be fine." the short boy cut me off. "Why are you so worried anyways."

Ryoma Echizen, regular of Seishun Gakuen's tennis team had just previously knocked out a guy with Ryuuzaki's tennis ball thing. It was a simple gadget that had a heavy base with a string attached to the ball so whenever you would hit it it would come right back. Ryoma gave it a try and suddenly some guy in a white uniform showed up and ended up getting Ryoma mad. So Ryoma hit him with the ball, mocking him as he did. I found it shocking, while my friend just found it amusing. Tomoka and Sakuno helped the guy to the nurses office I'm pretty sure, but I didn't stay to check. But I looked back at Ryoma, my eyebrows furrowed showing my distressed state. Ryoma's eyes held question and mild anger. He always got mad when ever I concerned myself with another persons well-being. "I m-mean, it's only common sense to-"

"Check if someone who is hurt is alright. You've given me that excuse a hundred times Hanabi." the Echizen boy finished for me, but I seen it more as cutting me off. I wish he would stop that...

"Well you've given me that question a hundred times..." I mumbled under my uniform sleeves, bringing my hands up to my mouth.

He gave me that look which told me to please stop and I did. We ended up stopping around the corner from the courts. Getting Ryoma mad was something I did quite often. But it was always of the minor things like fussing over a broken racket string, or a big assignment at school, and _concerning myself with others_. I honestly didn't know why he'd get mad about that kind of stuff anyways. He just seemed... sensitive? He didn't act like he usually did with other people, he was different. I knew who the 'real' Ryoma Echizen was. It was probably because I've known him since grade 3, when he was 'Mr. Cool'. But none the less, whenever I would be worried over small things and another thing that worried me would happen... it would just make me even more worried. Which didn't quite help. Ryoma came up to me and pulled me into a hug and rubbed my back while he gave a sigh.

**Damnit, he knew.**

"What's wrong? Tell me, your fussing over this thing more than you'd usually do in this situation." his grip on me tightened momentarily as it was my turn to give a sigh.

I returned the hug and rested my head on his shoulder. "It's just-" pausing, I took in a shakey breath. "I miss them."

My family.

"I know you do."

They might've not loved me a hundred percent.

"Is this normal?"

But I missed my 'regular' life.

"I wouldn't know."

Our quiet dinners, the lock outside my door and my barred windows cause my parents thought I'd run away, how they'd randomly drop me off at someones house to go out and have fun.

"I guess not."

Hell, I even missed our fights.

"You'll always have my family and I. Is..... that enough... for now?"

My parents abused me so much, but that was my 'normal life'.

"...Yeah... for now."

We parted and looked each other in the eyes. We'd always have deep, serious talks despite being only 7th graders. We understood more than people thought. Ryoma and I had each others backs too, so it was okay, we were like siblings** in my opinion**.

"Your so slow." he mumbled, with a pained look in his eyes.

I returned it with one of complete confusion but he shook his head and turned his heel to me.

"See you at home."

Ryoma and I lived together, despite me having no relation to him what-so-ever despite childhood friends. But eventually... people found out about my abuse at home and I was placed with Ryoma's family. And then they moved to Japan from America (which was a big change I managed to cope with surprisingly) and now I'm here. But I wonder... how long?

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**Total Number of Words (excluding title): **_835  
**Se**_**ries Basis:** _Prince of Tennis_  
**Requested/Prize: **_N/A_  
**Time:**_ 20 - 30 minutes  
_**Date Finished:** _February 6th/10  
_**Notes**_: Konnichiwa everybody~ Hope you enjoyed this short work of mine! This was originally meant to be a drabble, but it's a bit too long for that.  
So instead it's just a regular one-shot, short though, like my DanXSen one-shot! :D But longer... I think. I'm liking the vibe off of this one,  
but I wanted to bring Hanabi's shy character out more, which isn't displayed so well in this one. I spent more time explaining her bad past  
instead. And also some people might have noticed the vers. 1 at the top. That's because this is only version 1 of this. The next one is has  
the same characters but the story is explained more. In it I will be including the song... 'Didn't Even See the Dust'! By Paul Brandt! Who  
would thunk-it? Hhaha, but anyways, yeah, in that one I will be trying to bring out the shy Hanabi more! This is also just a motivator for  
me. Cause I STILL have 2 one-shots to finish and 2 short stories to start which were all requested from quizilla. (Last time I ever do a big  
request thing) it doesn't help that I'm a major procrastinator too... (I feel so bad...) But yeah, so I will be posting the songfic one-shot AFT-  
ER I'm done/started at least two of the above... This was originally meant to be a drabble, but it's just a bit too long for that ne? And finally  
............................... idontliketheendingGRRR!!!1!!!11!oneoneone!1_

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Those who review and/or fav get a free lunch on o'chibi! ;)


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